Transformational Leader or "Cookie Cutter" Manager??
The Transformational Leader
Transformational leadership "recognizes and exploits an existing need or demand of a potential follower... (and) looks for potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower" . Through transformational leadership followers embody the values of the organization and become leaders.
The Transformational leader strives to achieve a true consensus in aligning individual and organizational interests. In true consensus, the interests of all are fully considered, but the final decision reached may fail to please everyone completely. The decision is accepted as the best under the circumstances even if it means some individual members’ interests may have to be sacrificed.
Authentic transformational leadership builds genuine trust between leaders and followers. They increase the awareness of what is right, good, important, and beautiful, when they help to elevate followers’ needs for achievement and self-actualization, when they foster in followers higher moral maturity, and when they move followers to go beyond their self-interests for the good of their group, organization, or society.
The truly transformational leader who is seeking the greatest good for the greatest number and is concerned about doing what is right and honest is likely to avoid stretching the truth or going beyond the evidence for he/she wants to set an example to followers about the value of valid and accurate communication in followers.
There is a moral justification for the transformational leader’s efforts to achieve value-congruence between the leader and the led. When it is achieved, both are more satisfied emotionally. Much of this congruence results in leaders being seen by followers as more considerate, competent, and successful and followers are more satisfied with their jobs.
Leadership and followership in transformistic organizations are predicated less on positional authority and more on interdependent work relationships centered on common purposes. Individuals who assume leadership roles have sound visioning, interpersonal and organizational skills, and the desire and willingness to lead. Effective followers are distinguished by their capacity for self-management, strong commitment and courage.
When organizational participants are empowered to act as effective leaders and followers based on core values and a unifying purpose, the potential for unprecedented advances and exceptional outcomes are greatly enhanced.
Transforming leadership is elevating. It is moral but not moralistic. Leaders engage with followers, but from higher levels of morality; in the enmeshing of goals and values both leaders and followers are raised to more principled levels of judgement.
The Cookie Cutter Manager
As opposed to transformational leaders, the cookie cutter manager treats everyone the same. There is no alignment of values or beliefs. Using the culinary analogy, when you roll out a batch of cookie dough and apply a cookie cutter, you get the shape you desired, clearly and neatly defined. But you also find there's some material left over, sometimes quite a lot. While the extra dough can be rolled out and cut again, eventually you're left with a remaining lump of dough that doesn't fit the required shape.
In bureaucracies cookie cutter management is still alive and well, but it is becoming recognized that cookie cutter management needs to be abandoned and in its place transformational leadership installed.
Transformational leadership "recognizes and exploits an existing need or demand of a potential follower... (and) looks for potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower" . Through transformational leadership followers embody the values of the organization and become leaders.
The Transformational leader strives to achieve a true consensus in aligning individual and organizational interests. In true consensus, the interests of all are fully considered, but the final decision reached may fail to please everyone completely. The decision is accepted as the best under the circumstances even if it means some individual members’ interests may have to be sacrificed.
Authentic transformational leadership builds genuine trust between leaders and followers. They increase the awareness of what is right, good, important, and beautiful, when they help to elevate followers’ needs for achievement and self-actualization, when they foster in followers higher moral maturity, and when they move followers to go beyond their self-interests for the good of their group, organization, or society.
The truly transformational leader who is seeking the greatest good for the greatest number and is concerned about doing what is right and honest is likely to avoid stretching the truth or going beyond the evidence for he/she wants to set an example to followers about the value of valid and accurate communication in followers.
There is a moral justification for the transformational leader’s efforts to achieve value-congruence between the leader and the led. When it is achieved, both are more satisfied emotionally. Much of this congruence results in leaders being seen by followers as more considerate, competent, and successful and followers are more satisfied with their jobs.
Leadership and followership in transformistic organizations are predicated less on positional authority and more on interdependent work relationships centered on common purposes. Individuals who assume leadership roles have sound visioning, interpersonal and organizational skills, and the desire and willingness to lead. Effective followers are distinguished by their capacity for self-management, strong commitment and courage.
When organizational participants are empowered to act as effective leaders and followers based on core values and a unifying purpose, the potential for unprecedented advances and exceptional outcomes are greatly enhanced.
Transforming leadership is elevating. It is moral but not moralistic. Leaders engage with followers, but from higher levels of morality; in the enmeshing of goals and values both leaders and followers are raised to more principled levels of judgement.
The Cookie Cutter Manager
As opposed to transformational leaders, the cookie cutter manager treats everyone the same. There is no alignment of values or beliefs. Using the culinary analogy, when you roll out a batch of cookie dough and apply a cookie cutter, you get the shape you desired, clearly and neatly defined. But you also find there's some material left over, sometimes quite a lot. While the extra dough can be rolled out and cut again, eventually you're left with a remaining lump of dough that doesn't fit the required shape.
In bureaucracies cookie cutter management is still alive and well, but it is becoming recognized that cookie cutter management needs to be abandoned and in its place transformational leadership installed.
posted by Pete at 10:00 AM
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